Miami Dolphins Preseason: Week 2 Stock Report

This is a prove-it year for the Miami Dolphins. It's time for them to get over the hump and into the playoffs, or it's time for them to make sweeping changes to the roster and the front office and coaching staff.

The proving doesn't start at the beginning of the regular season, though. The proving starts now.

Whether it's a player at the bottom of the depth chart fighting for a roster spot, a player with a new opportunity due to an injury at his position or a starting player who is taking the next steps in his development, there is something for everyone to prove.

And with only two weeks until the beginning of the regular season, the time to prove it is running out. Now is not the time for a player to leave opportunities on the field and fail to fully capitalize on the chances he is given. Now is the time to make the most of every rep in practice to maximize the potential for flawless execution in the regular season. 

Here's a look at players on both ends of the spectrum.

Stock Up: Ryan Tannehill

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

Year after year, Ryan Tannehill has made steady improvements. If the preseason is any indication, the 2015 season should be a continuation of that upward trajectory.

Through two preseason games, Tannehill is 18-of-22 for 158 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions and a passer rating of 126.9. Yes, it's the preseason, but this is a trend that has lasted for three straight years and is going on a fourth year. 

We haven't even seen the best of what Tannehill could be this year. The Dolphins have surrounded Tannehill with better weapons in the passing game than he's ever had before, and one of the better ones (rookie wide receiver DeVante Parker) is still missing from the offense.

If Tannehill continues to play the way he is playing right now and his performance improves with the return of Parker, the Dolphins offense could be one of the scarier units in the entire NFL this year. 

Stock Down: Will Davis

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

One of the bigger battles in Dolphins camp has been at cornerback. Jamar Taylor has always been considered the runaway favorite to win the starting job opposite Brent Grimes, but everything else seems to be wide-open. Taylor left Saturday's preseason game with a quadriceps injury, and according to Adam Caplan of ESPN, the third-year cornerback may be out for up to two weeks. 

In his absence, expect players like Will Davis and Zackary Bowman to get opportunities to prove that they can hang with the Dolphins' top unit in the secondary. If that's the case, Davis is not getting off to a good start. The second-year cornerback was targeted nine times on Saturday against the Carolina Panthers, according to Pro Football Focus, and he yielded six completions. 

It's not all Davis' fault; he is still recovering from a torn ACL that he suffered at the end of the 2014 season, but according to Hal Habib of the Palm Beach Post, he should be back to 100 percent in time for the regular season. 

For now, though, he is showing that he still has some work to do. 

Stock Up: Walt Aikens

Alan Diaz/Associated Press

One man's loss is another man's gain, and the Dolphins' loss of safety Louis Delmas is a gain for second-year defensive back Walt Aikens.

The former Liberty cornerback is making the transition to safety, and it appears he's in line for a crack at the starting job now that Delmas is done for the season with another torn ACL. Aikens started at free safety in Saturday's game against the Carolina Panthers and played 39 of 81 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.

In that time, he was targeted twice and allowed just one reception for six yards. He also made a nice play on third down to prevent a completion. 

The Dolphins drafted Aikens in the fourth round in 2014, and they probably did so in hopes that he could use his long frame (6'1", 205 lbs) at the cornerback position to get physical with opposing receivers. If his cover skills can translate to the safety position, though, and if he can factor into the long-term plan on defense, it should be considered a big win and a bigger steal for the Dolphins' scouting department. 

Stock Down: Michael Thomas

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

You would think that Louis Delmas' injury would open the door for all the other free safeties on the Dolphins' depth chart to show their worth. Think again.

Walt Aikens has an advantage in the battle at free safety because the Dolphins' current regime is the same regime that drafted him. General manager Dennis Hickey had a hand in selecting Aikens to the Dolphins roster. He had no say in Michael Thomas' status on the roster.

Make no mistake: Thomas would not be in Miami if the Dolphins decision-makers didn't want him there. That being said, he has an uphill battle if he wants to win the starting job—and he may not even get a real chance to win it at all.

His performances are not the reason for his placement in the "stock down" category; it's simply a product of the circumstances of his status on the roster. 

Stock Up: Damien Williams

Mike McCarn/Associated Press

Lamar Miller is the top dog in the Dolphins backfield. What happens behind him on the depth chart is anyone's guess, but as of right now, it appears Damien Williams is positioning himself as the No. 2 back. 

Williams turned in a two-touchdown performance against the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, pulling in an 11-yard touchdown pass and running in a goal-line carry for another score.

Williams was splitting time with Daniel Thomas as the primary backup to Miller, but he found himself battling for his old spot in a competition with LaMichael James, Mike Gillislee and rookie Jay Ajayi. Williams was listed as the second-team back on the team's first official depth chart, and he was the second back on the field in Miami's first two preseason games.

The Dolphins may only ask Williams to participate on passing downs, but he would be valuable to the team even in such a niche role. 

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained via team news release.